Fermentation is a practice that is still popular in many cultures around the world. These include countries in Asia, North, Central and South America and Europe. It can be made with dairy, vegetables, fruits, wheat and even meat produce. For example, real chocolate is made by fermenting the cocoa beans under certain atmospheric conditions that will help the process.

Even though fermentation has been present throughout time and in various cultures, people were not aware of the great benefits it can have in the human body. until fairly recent. Among the main benefits of fermented foods I can include:

Improved digestion: Since the fermentation process acts as a predigestion to food, it makes it more bioavailable and your body will have an easier time digesting.

Increased nutrients of food: Since fermentation makes food more bioavailable, you will get more nutrients from your food, comparing to when you eat certain foods raw or cooked. This includes dairy, fruits, vegetables, beans and grains.

Great source of probiotic: Fermented foods contain many strains of probiotics that rebalance the bacteria in the gut.

Supports immune system: Your gut needs to be strong in order to support your immune and digestive system, this is why including them in your diet is so important. Since probiotics help to feed the gut, this will in return reduce any negative reactions to foods and gastrointestinal discomforts.

Save a buck: If you are in a tight budget, it can be a much cheaper alternative to supplements if they are consumed regularly.

In all, fermented foods are very important to include in your diet. Foods such as kefir, natural yogurt, kimchee, sauerkraut, tempeh, miso paste and kombucha are great alternatives and are easy to find in stores. Most of them you could even make them at home.

Anti nutrients are present in more kinds of foods that you would ever imagine. Synthetic ones include sugar, carbonated beverages and trans fats. Then, there are natural versions that include certain vegetables, roots and beans that make it hard for the body to digest them without leaching certain nutrients out of the body.

The theme today is going to focus on the natural anti nutrients which include vegetables, roots, grains, nuts, seeds and legumes. Sugar and trans fats will not be mentioned further because these are foods that give no nutrients to the body and should be highly reduced, if not banned from your diet.

Anti nutrients

Oxalates and Phytates

These compounds adhere to minerals such as calcium and iron, leeching them out of our bodies. If our diet is not balanced we might become mineral deficient. But we must keep in mind that these kinds of foods are usually the highest in calcium and iron, so some of it does get absorbed by our bodies.

This is why we usually soak beans for a few hours and even overnight. It is often done so they are cooked faster and for them to become easier to digest (Who hasn’t been gassy at times from beans!). Well, this is a half truth, the subject gets a bit more complex because what happens with beans is that they are filled with lectins when they have not been well managed before eating. This is the reason why they might bloat us and make us gassy.

What to do: Sprouting might work for some legumes, the more you sprout the less it will be present. But watch out because for example red kidney beans must be soaked and cooked! Soaking and cooking also deactivates lectins and makes it easier for us to digest it.

RECIPE TIME!

A recipe that I like and is very simple to make is Aubergine Lasagna. In this case I don’t use pasta to cut back on the carbohydrate in this meal. But if you want to, you can add it, just add a layer of the lasagna sheets.

Cut the aubergine into thin slices. Soak them in a bowl with water and salt for at least 30 minutes. This will reduce lectins.

Pre heat oven to 200C.

Take the aubergine out of the water, you might want to wash and dry it before using.

Mix the tomato sauce with the olives and mushroom. If you are using meat, chicken or tempeh, mix it in too.

Take your tray and begin making layers with the sauce, aubergine and cheese, in that order.

Repeat step 5 a few times until you have nearly reached the top of the tray.

Top the lasagna with parmesan cheese or vegan parm.

Put into the oven for 30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.

Note: I do not give you amount of ingredients because it all depends on how big or small you want your lasagna to be. It can be used as a side plate, or as a main meal. It is up to you. And it also depends on how cheese you want it to be.